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(No Model.)

POWDER DIVIDING APPARATUS.

No. 469.364. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

.Ji 5- Qvwewboz UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

.VAYNE J. HULL, OF ALEXANDRIA, SOUTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO CHARLES W. MCORONE, OF SAME PLACE.

POWDER-DIVIDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,364, dated February 23, 1892.

Application filed May 1, 1891. Serial No. 391,287. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WAYNE J. HULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Hanson and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Powder-Dividing Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates'to a powder-dividing apparatus designed to be used more particularly by druggists and physicians in dividing a given quantity of apowdered substance into any desired 'number of smaller quantities or powders.

The objects of the invention are threefold, first, to provide a powder-dividing apparatus that will with exactness divide into any desired number of smaller quantities a quantity of a powder the bulk of which is less than the capacity of the powder-holding receptacle; secondly, to provide a powder-dividing apparatus that will divide into any number of smaller quantities a quantity of a powder the bulk of which is equal to the capacity of the powder-holding receptacle, and,thirdly, to provide a powder-dividing apparatus in which the dividing operation is purely mechanical.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus, the divider being shown removed from the powder-holding receptacle and the gage shown in operative position. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the powder-holding receptacle, showing the different parts of the apparatus in their operative position. Fig. 3 is a broken plan view, partly in section, showing more clearly the pawl mechanism for actuating the divider;

Referring to the drawings, A designates the powder-holder, which consists of an exterior circular pan-like receptacle 1 having inclined said edge and thus prevent any escape or waste of the powder. \Vithin the top 5 of the boss 8 is secured a vertical post 7, and to one side of the receptacle 1 is attached a lug or casting 8, to which is secured a handle 9. The casting is provided with a transverse recess 10, in which is mounted a coiled spring 11, designed to bear against the inner end of a headed pin 12, which also works in the said recess. To the upper side of the pin is pivoted a pawl 13, the pivot 13' of which works in a slot 10' cut in the recess 10, which pawl engages with the teeth 14 on.

the periphery of the divider to rotate the same, for a purpose that will presently appear.

' The divider B consists of the peripherallytoothed plate 15, the upper side of which is provided with a raised centrally-perforated boss 16, carrying a tubular stem 17, having at its upper end a milled nut 18, and a series of triangular-shaped blades 19, secured to the under side of the said plate, which blades are of a size to fit snugly within the channel 6 of the powder-receptacle.

G designates a gage, which consists of an indexed disk 20, having a series of numbered notches 20, numbered,say,from l to 24, a rigid blade 21, carried by the said disk, and a movable blade 22, carried by an arm 23, the free end of which latter is perforated to admit of its being slipped over a boss 24L on the disk, a jam-nut 25 serving to hold the said movable blade at any desired adjustment. The disk is perforated centrally to admit of its being slipped on the post 7, upon which it revolves, the top 5 of the boss 3 serving as a bearing upon which the disk rests.

D designates a gate, which is pivoted between two lugs 26 on the receptacle 1, and is designed to close a discharge-opening 27 in the side of the said receptacle, which opening is of a width equal to the space between two of the blades 19. The gate is provided with a thumb-piece 28, by means of which the gate may be opened or closed with ease.

Having thus described the different parts of my apparatus, I will explain the manner of its operation.

We will suppose that it is desired to divide a certain quantity of powder into fourteen equal parts. The first step is to adjust the gage so as to leave a space between the rigid blade 21 and the movable blade 22 equal to the space occupied by fourteen of the blades 19 of the divider. This is done by moving the Said movable blade until it reaches the fourteenth notch in the disk, counting from the rigid blade 2l,wl1en by turning the nut 25 the bladeis securely clamped in place. The gate is now closed, and the powder is placed in the channel 6 between the stationary blade and the movable blade in an even mass. The divider B is then placed in the position shown in Fig. 2that is, with the post 7 extending through the stem 17 and the under side of the plate resting upon the edge of the receptacle 1, in which position, the blades 19 cut or divide the powder into fourteen equal quantities. The gate is now opened and the pawl is actuated by means of the pin 12, thus revolving the divider and with it the gage O, thelatter, by reason of the fact that one of the blades of the divider engages the movable blade 22, so that the divider and the gage are moved in unison. As the thrust of the pawl is just equal to the distance between two of theblades 19, it follows that at each movem ent of the divider a powder is discharged from the opening 27.

The procedure just described is that adopted when onlya portion of the powder-holder is filled with a powdered substance; but when it is desired to utilize the entire capacity of the holder the gage is removed and the blades of the divider separate the powder into as many equal quantities as there are blades, the operation in other respects being the same as that first described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a powder-dividing apparatus, a powder-receptacle having an interior V-shaped 4. In a powder-dividing apparatus, a powder-receptaclehavingadischarge-opening and an interior V-shaped channel, a peripherallytoothed plate carrying blades of a contour to fit in said channel, and a pawl for engaging the teeth in the plate.

5. In a powder-dividing apparatus,a gage consisting of an indexed disk, a rigid blade, and an adjustable blade, in combination with a powder-receptacle having a discharge-openin g, a channel in which the blades of the gage fit, and a post upon which the said disk revolves, and a divider having a series of blades designed to engage the said channel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VAYNE J. HULL.

Vitnesses:

' C. W. MoCRoNu,

GEO. B. BOWER. 

